Driver's Licencing Information for Graduating Students

Here is some helpful information from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for students who are completing their degrees and whose licenses might be expiring soon:

Students with OPT Authorization

If you have been approved for OPT and have the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), you can be issued a DMV document (driver’s license) that expires when the EAD expires. You'll need to bring the following to the DMV:

Valid passport , F-1 visa and I-94 card;

I-20 (even if it's expired);

EAD;

Proof of VA residency; and

Proof of SSN (If you have been issued one).

Special Notes: If an individual has been recommended for OPT but has not been approved (and has not received the EAD) he/she can make a request for an initial 60-day extension. Then, when the EAD is obtained he/she can request an extension of the license until the expiration date of the EAD.

Students can also request an extension for the 60 day grace period once the EAD expires, and will need to bring all of the items listed above to the DMV.

Students without OPT

If you have not been recommended or approved for OPT, but need to request an additional 60 days extension for your license/ID card based on successful completion of studies, you may request an extension by presenting the following:

Valid passport, F-1 visa andI-94 card;

I-20 (even if it's expired);

Proof of successful completion of studies (Letter from the Registrar's Office);